NOT JUST JOCK TALK

PODCAST NOT JUST JOCK TALK

Adam Morrison’s new podcast lets the Gonzaga legend showcase his off-court skills

BY WILL MAUPIN

From his high school days all the way through to his post-NBA career, Adam Morrison’s journey’s had plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Its most recent meander, though, is one even Morrison himself didn’t see coming: He’s now a “podcasting dude.”

What shouldn’t be surprising is that, like most things he’s done, he’s pretty darn good at it.

Produced by Spokane’s Speak Studios, his podcast, The Perimeter with Adam Morrison, debuted in April. The name is fitting for a basketball player who was lethal shooting from outside in his playing days. But Morrison wasn’t a one trick pony on the court, and he isn’t in the podcast studio, either. In his first three episodes, two featured former Gonzaga basketball players as guests, while another featured Minnesota radio personality DJ Skee and a deep dive into entrepreneurship. In the episode with Gonzaga player Joel Ayayi, Morrison’s prowess as an interviewer is on full display as the two talk about the transition from college to professional basketball. Morrison is able to relate well with his guests like the soon-to-be-professional Ayayi by connecting through common experiences. ...continued on page 20

Hoops legend Adam Morrison adds “podcast dude” to his resume.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Host Adam Morrison interviews Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Julianna Peña for an episode of The Perimeter. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“NOT JUST JOCK TALK,” CONTINUED...

After taking the basketball world by storm at Gonzaga, Morrison was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Before his breakout college season in which he led the country in scoring at 28 points per game, Morrison was largely unknown. His rise from obscurity to stardom was followed by an equally rapid fall. After earning all-rookie team honors in his first professional season, a torn ACL hampered his NBA career. He won two championships as part of the Los Angeles Lakers, but only played in 161 games over four seasons.

In the years since, Morrison returned to Spokane, completed a graduate degree at Gonzaga and now does commentary for the Gonzaga men’s basketball radio broadcasts.

His work in radio prepared him for the podcast world, and his experiences on the hardwood allow him to easily connect with his guests. What makes the show special is that it’s not just about sports, even when two athletes are talking. Much of the episode with Ayayi is a conversation about Ayayi’s high school experience at France’s National Institute of Sport. The two contrast the rigid structure of the French system with the relative looseness of the American system Morrison and most listeners are familiar with.

The episodes clock in at just over an hour, with the time dedicated entirely to that episode’s guest. They’re real conversations that easily swing back and forth between host and guest.

Morrison sat down for a Zoom interview to talk about the show. His responses have been edited for clarity and length.

INLANDER: How would you describe The Perimeter with Adam Morrison to someone who hasn’t listened?

Morrison: It’s a mixture of my experiences with Gonzaga, people connected around the program, and then the people I’ve met outside of basketball and being a professional athlete. It’s kind of like a semi-variety show I’d imagine. There’s always a connection with Gonzaga or with me. My range of guests is far different than a simple ex-Gonzaga player and things of that nature.

When I say it’s not a Gonzaga podcast, I’m not trying to disassociate myself from that fanbase, but I’m not going to go on there and break down Gonzaga’s upcoming recruiting class or schedule or anything like that. I try to have a little more variety. It’s basically a show about things I’m interested in and people who have interesting stories. We’re going to try to have it with a hint of variety, but also I’ll get some former Zags on, and some pros. That stuff I think is interesting because of how the story changes once they get into the professional ranks. It’s hard to say it’s not a Gonzaga podcast because the first three episodes are going to be Gonzaga people, but it’s not just Gonzaga basketball-related. I’m talking about their life experiences, their experiences at Gonzaga, the experiences that are going to happen after Gonzaga and how those shaped them as an individual and a human being.

When did the idea of having your own show come about, and what was the process like to make it happen?

The head of [Speak Studios] texted me one day and asked if I wanted a show, and we just went from there. I didn’t have any intention to start my own show. I didn’t think there would be a following or enough variety for people to enjoy, but they convinced me otherwise. So far it’s been OK, and we’ll see where it takes it. I never thought I’d be the podcasting dude or whatever. Hopefully, it turns into something with a following, for people to enjoy. But if it doesn’t, I’m still enjoying it and having fun, and Speak’s done an excellent job of helping me produce the show.

As the radio color commentator for Gonzaga in recent seasons, you’ve worked alongside the longtime voice of the Zags, Tom Hudson. How has that experience prepared you for hosting your own show?

It’s helped out a lot. He’s really good at interviews; he’s an absolute pro. He’s made my life easy as a color commentator as somebody that had zero experience walking into that job. I’ve learned a lot from him on show flow, on conversation. He always keeps his interviews as non-cliche as possible, and that’s what I try to do as well with the podcast.

There are certain questions you’re going to have to ask, but when you sit down to talk with former athletes and coaches… they do a million media things, so if you come into it with the mindset of the local TV media or something, they’re going to put up a wall automatically and give you cliche answers. That’s what I’ve learned from Tom, he’s always done a good job, even in the short interviews after games, he gets the guys to really explain what their thought process was instead of the cliche stuff. And just being on radio, in general, has helped with the confidence of what to say, how to say it, and what you think would sound good.

You’ve had a couple of players on the first few episodes who have had experience with media from their time at Gonzaga, and who have given great interviews over the years, but you’ve managed to get them to really open up on your show. How does being a former player help you create that chemistry?

When they come on the show I explain to them: Look, I’m obviously not a media guy per se even though I’m on the radio. I’m not here to “gotcha” anybody. And then, to be real, I played... so they know that some of the things that I’m asking, there’s a context behind it — just being a former player and somebody that they can respect a little bit. And beforehand I’ve had interactions with them, so that always helps people relax and open up. Because when you’re doing media during the year you get asked a lot of the same questions. You always have to go risk-reward, and I know it’s not everybody’s favorite on the media side to hear that, but you always have to ask, “What good is going to come out of this if I open myself up to this individual or to this entity?” Then you put up a wall because the answer is “none” or “very little.”

In my case, I don’t really have an angle; I just want to hear guys’ stories. I know the fans and people that are interested in college basketball are interested in those things as well. I go in with the mindset that I’m not trying to “gotcha” a guy to make my show explode. I just want to have good interviews, and if it takes off, it takes off. If it doesn’t, I’m still having a blast. n

REAL BOREDOM

HBO Max documentary Fake Famous had the opportunity to educate its viewers on social media influencers and poke fun at those influencers, too. Unfortunately, filmmaker and tech writer Nick Bilton decided to focus on the mockery, and while I can certainly enjoy a laugh or 10 at people obsessed with their Instagram-focused lives trying to turn their feeds into businesses, the gags get old pretty fast. After a surface-level introduction to a slew of wannabe-famous young Los Angelenos, Bilton picks three out of a casting call and decides he’s going to make them internet-famous by buying them followers and staging a lot of glammy-looking photos. There’s no in-depth reporting, no expert talking heads, no social scientists interviewed. I was bored before the halfway mark, and I’m guessing you will be, too. (DAN NAILEN)

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST

There’s noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online May 21. To wit: CHRISSIE HYNDE, Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan. I’m game for anything the Pretenders leader wants to do.

JOHN HIATT WITH THE JERRY DOUGLAS BAND, Leftover Feelings. Hiatt is a killer songwriter, and his new tunes get a bluegrassy treatment from Douglas and Co. MICKY DOLENZ, Dolenz Sings Nesmith. One surviving Monkee covering the other survivor’s songs. Oh, and they’ll be in Spokane together Sept. 10. (DAN NAILEN)

Audrey Style

BY NATALIE RIETH

As someone who had a Paris-themed bedroom the majority of my childhood — Audrey Hepburn prints, Eiffel Towers everywhere in sight, and a “Paris is always a good idea” pillow centered on my bed if anyone dare question my interest — the second I heard about the new Netflix documentary Audrey: More Than An Icon I immediately set aside time to watch. I adored the documentary and realized that I knew nearly nothing about the icon adorning my wall. Here are three things about Hepburn everyone should know:

A CAREER UNFULFILLED

Hepburn dreamt of being a professional ballet dancer. After World War II, Hepburn got a scholarship to attend the Rambert Ballet School in London, where she had several months of training. Hepburn was noticeably weaker than other dancers, as she hadn’t experienced the same intensity of training that other dancers had at a young age. When she was told by her instructor that her chances of becoming a professional dancer were

unlikely, she began working in show business in London and was eventually cast in small movie roles before she was “discovered.”

THE BUZZ BIN

FASHIONABLE FRIENDS

Hepburn made a significantly larger impact on the fashion world than most realize, which stemmed from the connection that she had with designer Hubert de Givenchy. Hepburn and Givenchy first started collaborating when Hepburn requested his designs for the film Sabrina, in which she wore her first Givenchy-designed couture dress: a white strapless gown with a stunning black flower design. Their friendship was strengthened by their sharing a similar sensitivity, as Hepburn explains in the documentary. Givenchy knew how to master a design that complemented the lines and shape of her petite frame, just as Audrey knew how to perfectly hold herself in the clothes with grace. Together, both artists invented a look known as “Audrey’s style.”

WORK WITH UNICEF

“For the children I go to the moon,” says Hepburn in an interview included in the documentary.

After her acting career came to an end, Hepburn worked as a full-time ambassador for UNICEF, a United Nations program that gives worldwide humanitarian aid to children. As a longtime UNICEF supporter, Hepburn aimed to bring her fame to a good cause, sharing her love and connecting with children around the world.

Hepburn was clearly far more than just the star who wore the long, classic black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. When you have time on your hands to watch Audrey: More Than An Icon, I highly recommend expanding your knowledge of the legend. n

FRAUD AT POLLS?

You no doubt remember Serial, the addictively paced whodunit that introduced countless people to the very medium of podcasts. Its latest spinoff podcast is called The Improvement Society, and it’s a rigorous investigation about a timely subject — election fraud, specifically in a single North Carolina county that has a long history with voting fraud claims. Reporter Zoe Chace digs into the complicated rivalry between the county’s Republican status quo and the Democratic PAC dedicated to unifying Black voters, and tells a compelling story of political gamesmanship, rural hearsay, whataboutism and racial disparities. All five episodes are now available for download. (NATHAN WEINBENDER)

TWEETIN’ TED

The next person I hear say a bad thing about AppleTV hit Ted Lasso will be the first, and while we all wait for a second season of the aw-shucks charm of the American football coach who finds himself coaching soccer in England, let me recommend following the @TedLasso Twitter account for little jolts of positivity just when you need them. From cornball dad jokes to inspiring bouts of “hopescrolling,” it’s a nice change from dark side of social media. (DAN NAILEN)

YOU WON’T BELIEVE

Amber Ruffin is hilarious. The host of The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock and writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers is capable of making poignant points about race one second and making you LOL the next. In You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey, a new book co-written with her sister Lacey Lamar, the siblings explore an incredible array of racist incidents — from uninvited hands in afros to direct violent threats — they’ve both suffered in their hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, a predominantly White city known for being “nice.” Sound like any place you know? There’s plenty here to make you giggle, but pretty soon you realize how unfair it is to expect a smiling face through constant racism. The book is a breezy 215-page read, but it’s anything but light. (DAN NAILEN)

Gone Fishin’

My first time… watching MTV’s hit show Catfish

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

There’s probably no better year to illustrate the power of online human connections than the one we all just lived through.

People have been meeting each other online for decades now. But after living through the stay-at-home orders of the pandemic, it’s more acceptable than ever to hope a digital introduction might blossom into a real-life love connection.

Sadly, though, no matter the year, there are always going to be some sinister people who leverage the anonymity afforded by the internet to lie about who they are and take advantage of unwitting victims.

These are the “catfish.”

Typically, a catfish poses as someone else, often using a more attractive stranger’s photos to carry on conversations and even full-blown, years-long relationships. Sometimes all they do is emotionally manipulate some-

22 INLANDER MAY 20, 2021

Nev Schulman (left) and his former Catfish co-host Max Joseph.

one. Other times they ask for money or favors. Often, safeguard the idea that they’re really dating a model, a they refuse to video chat or even talk on the phone, and celebrity or even just someone attractive that they seem sometimes they come up with wild last-minute excuses to share a special connection with. for why they couldn’t meet in person. It’s crazy how many people cling to the hope that the

These are the red flags that anyone who’s watched person they’ve been talking to is truly who they claim to MTV’s Catfish knows to look for. be, even after they’re presented with clear evidence that

I’m not exactly sure how I missed out on the phe- person is lying. In fact, Nev often finds the real person nomenon of this show, now in its eighth season, until this whose photos were stolen and has them record a video year. But somehow it wasn’t until I was sick and cooped message to the victim confirming that they haven’t been up at home for weeks that I found and binged through talking, because only then do some people let reality sink almost every season on Hulu. in.

The show was started after Nev Schulman captured his own catfishing experience in a documentary. He traveled to force an introduction The show often serves as the final with the woman he’d fallen for online, who turned out to be a totally different person than he had wakeup call needed for people who’ve expected. Interestingly, they still left the confrontation as friends. So, he decided to help other people confront spent years of their lives wanting to their own fishy situations. It’s thrilling to watch Nev and Max (now Nev believe even the most ludicrous tales. and newer co-host Kamie) travel around the country to meet with people who hope beyond reason that What I think makes the show most unique, however, their online relationship is real, but suspect their partner is that the hosts often try to make the people who are is hiding something. catfishing address the deep-seated issues with their self-

The show often serves as the final wakeup call esteem or personal skills that led them to lie in the first needed for people who’ve spent years of their lives want- place. After showing them the real human impact their ing to believe even the most ludicrous tales in order to actions had, and ideally eliciting an honest apology for

the victim, the catfish often get the chance to think about why they strung someone along like that.

Inevitably, there are some episodes that are absolutely cringey and uncomfortable — think a woman who for years maliciously catfished another woman as her online “boyfriend,” all because the catfish’s real-life boyfriend had slept with both of them and she wanted revenge. Or recall the instances where the online partner supposedly “died” only to mysteriously show up online again days, weeks or years later, and the victim — or “hopeful” as the show calls them — still wanted to keep the relationship alive.

One thing you can appreciate most about the show is how the team evolved over time with handling sensitive topics.

Early on, I cringed as the hosts repeatedly misgendered someone they suspected was transgender, and I was uncomfortable with how directly they asked about that person’s life when they finally had the inperson confrontation, which of course was captured on film for national television. But soon after, I noticed the show started intentionally working with guest hosts who helped navigate those types of conversations and questions more sensitively.

Surprisingly, despite the structure of the show largely relying on showing up in person to demand a faceto-face conversation with the suspected catfish, they were able to make an online format work during the pandemic, so new episodes dropped through January of this year. Whether reality TV is your thing or not, it’s definitely worth a watch, if for no other reason than for picking up some sleuthing skills of your own to help make sure you and the people you know don’t fall for the same fishy tricks. n

WEEKEND COUNTDOWN

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